75 trucks with illegally mined sand give Tehsildars the slip

Incident Shows Ban Remains Only On Paper

Chinmayi Shalya Times News Network 7^th October 2013

Mumbai: A ban on sand mining across the country by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and a Supreme Court order notwithstanding, the illegal activity remains rampant.

The proof came on September 19, when two Tehsildars, one from Thane district and the other from Borivali, intercepted 75 trucks loaded with sand at the Dahisar check Naka while on their way to the city.

The drivers did not have a valid royalty receipt authorizing them to carry sand from a site, which the Thane collector said was an indication that the sand was being illegally mined and transported.

Several calls were made to the police station by the revenue officials, but the police were reluctant to make an FIR, saying they were busy because of the Ganpati visarjan and arrived only six hours later. By then, all the trucks had slipped away.

“When the revenue officials checked the vehicles, the drivers fled,” inspector Madhukar Pawar said. “Later they took their trucks too.”

The police assistance had been sought some time after 8 pm. The police said they could send their officers only by 3 am.

The Dahisar police station is now trying to trace 39 of the trucks with the vehicle numbers given by the revenue officers. The Kashimira police station at Mira-Bhayander in Thane district registered cases against only six of the 36 trucks from its jurisdiction.

The trucks were estimated to be carrying 22,000 kg of sand for building sites in the city.

“The sand was coming from Vasai taluka and because of absence of any valid receipt it can be termed illegal,” Thane collector P Velarasu said.

The law allows only manual mining in some creek parts in Thane. Vehicles carrying the sand are issued a royalty receipt to transport it.

(Inputs by Sandhya Nair)

EXCAVATION RULES

A February 2012 Supreme Court order bans removal of sand from riverbeds without clearance from Union environment ministry.

In August 2013, National Green Tribunal reiterates Supreme Court order

In September, manual mining of sand is allowed in some creek parts. Trucks are given a royalty receipt to transport sand

Since October 1, a ban has been imposed on all kinds of mining activity in the state till maritime board submits a stock report on requirements and areas that can be utilized. The report will go through various levels, including an environment ministry nod, before authorized mining can start again

GOVT BURYING HEAD IN SAND, SAY ACTIVISTS

If the ban on sand mining had been strictly implemented, one would have sensed a slowdown in construction activity in the city. Since construction is still booming, it is obvious that sand is still illegally mined … It happens at night or on weekends

— Debi Goenka | CONSERVATION ACTION TRUST

The politician-builder-mafia nexus has ensured that there is no shortage of sand for private builders. CCTV cameras must be placed at all toll nakas at an angle which shows the contents of a truck as it passes through along with the registration number. All goods vehicles must pass though designated lanes at toll nakas

— Stalin D | VANASHAKTI

If so much sand was being transported on one occasion, I wonder how many trucks with illegal sand are around in the city. There has been no strictness shown to clamp down

on illegal sand mining

— Harish Pandey | ACTIVIST FROM DAHISAR

Dahisar check naka, where the trucks were intercepted